The Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute has appealed to stakeholders across the nation to uphold the spirit of dialogue that was borne at the historic Major National Dialogue that took place in Yaounde from September 30 to October 4, 2019.
He made the call at the Start Building yesterday during the 6th session of the Follow-up Committee on the Implementation of Recommendations of the Major National Dialogue. Dion Ngute said, there is every reason for all to continue working and engaging with different parties towards strengthening he peace process across the North West and South West Regions and addressing national challenges that were discussed at the dialogue.
The Prime Minister said in line with the window which the Head of State opened through the holding of the Major National Dialogue, more actions will continue to be taken for total peace, development and the safety of persons to be the order of the day in the North West and South West Regions.
He emerged from yesterday’s meeting, telling reporters that so far, what has been achieved tell of effective state presence in all the subdivisions that make up the North West and South West Regions. Dion Ngute then went ahead to appeal to the consciousness of those still in the bushes to opt for the path of peace.
Fresh Recommendations
At the end of discussions yesterday, participants called on stakeholders especially religious and traditional rulers to continue dialoguing and sustaining engagements with all members of the society to ease the implementation of the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue.
They resolved to intensify work across the globe to disrupt networks of separatists and their sponsors across the globe and to ensure more judicial actions are taken to bring them to book. The Committee also agreed on the need to extend appreciation to friendly countries supporting government efforts.
It was also agreed that more actions be taken to raise awareness on the people-centered approach of the reconstruction plan and to make use of digital tools to ensure such actions gain maximum positive impact.
Another proposal was to strengthen the implementation of the Regional Development Plans in the North West and South West Regions so as to give more meaning to the Special Status and ensure more resources are pumped in to boost local development.
Those who took part in yesterday’s meeting agreed to address constraints to voter apathy in the North West and South West Regions so as to ensure the people actually take part in the election of leaders in the country.
The need to review the implementation of recommendations of the Historic Major National Dialogue, MND, was also agreed upon to curb issues that could work against national unity with a focus on boosting the practice of bilingualism, national integration and social cohesion.
Countering negative narratives and ensuring the nation’s diplomatic representation present a good image and update international opinion on the nation’s peace efforts. Those who took part in discussions also recommended the intensive use of social media to promote actions being implemented in line with the MND. They also called for the strengthening of decentralisation and to call on development agencies to embark on projects that will create jobs for young people in crisis-hit regions.
Strides On The Field
On some of the major fruits of the implementation of the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue, the Prime Minister mentioned the Ring Road project which has made great progress in parts of Donga Mantung Division. He added to the list of giant projects the Bamenda-Babadjour road, the Kumba-Ekonodo Titi road and rehabilitation work about to commence on the Bekoko-Limbe-Idenau stretch.
Before coming out to face the press, the Prime Minister had at the start of the session delved into other visible fruits stemming from work done in line with the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue.
The Head of Government listed the coming into being of a new decentralisation framework on which he said government has continued to work without reserve. Thanks to this, he said the nation now boasts of Regional Councils while the English-speaking Regions have Regional Assemblies with Houses of Chiefs and other special features that tie to the Special Status that was attributed to the administrative units at the dialogue.
Government, he said, has stepped up the transfer of resources to councils while at the same time it ha put in place a new law on local taxation to boost local development. In the North West and South West Regions, Dion Ngute said aspects of what was proposed to make life more meaningful and bring the population into their development process are taking shape. Thanks to such work, the two Regions, he stated, have established valid development plans that will guide advancements in all sectors of life.
The Prime Minister went ahead to state that in line with partnerships such as those with the United Nations Development Program, UNDP, the reorganize the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West and South West Regions, PPRD-NW/SW to give the local population more involvement in the process.
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